Bequia

Dive Safety

• Treat Bequia as a guide-led destination, especially for West Cay, New Moon, Moonhole Cave, and Bequia Head.
• Carry an SMB and know how to deploy it cleanly.
• Do not force advanced offshore sites on marginal days just because they are on your wish list.
• If you plan a Tobago Cays add-on, follow park rules closely: scuba divers must be with a registered local operator, do not touch coral, do not take marine life, do not anchor in coral or seagrass, and do not fish.
• Because chamber access and mainland transfer can matter in a real incident, keep profiles conservative and leave a wider buffer than you might at a destination with larger medical infrastructure.

Medical Support

Bequia has on-island primary care contacts including Bequia Hospital, Port Elizabeth Health Centre, and Paget Farm Health Centre. More serious emergencies route to Milton Cato Memorial Hospital on St. Vincent. Government sources also indicate a hyperbaric decompression chamber was procured for the Ministry of Health, but prudent travelers should confirm current operational readiness and referral pathways with their dive operator and DAN at the start of the trip rather than assuming chamber access from a website mention alone. In a life-threatening emergency, activate local emergency services first, then call DAN for dive-specific coordination.

Conservation

Bequia sits within a broader protected-island network that includes the Bequia Marine Conservation Area and the Northern Bequia Wildlife Reserve. Around the southern Grenadines, Tobago Cays Marine Park rules are explicit and worth repeating: no coral contact, no taking marine life, no anchoring on coral or seagrass, no fishing, and no disturbing nesting seabirds. There is also active coral-restoration work associated with Devil's Table. Support operators who brief well, avoid fish feeding, use moorings where available, and keep fins, gauges, and camera rigs controlled in shallow coral zones. If the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary is on your list, check current local guidance before visiting and treat it as a sensitive conservation stop, not a casual photo prop.